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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22702300">I Learned From You</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FernStone/pseuds/FernStone'>FernStone</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Femslash February 2020 [14]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Stranger Things (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Eleven | Jane Hopper &amp; Maxine "Max" Mayfield Friendship, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friendship/Love, Introspection, Lesbian Maxine "Max" Mayfield, Love Confessions, Pansexual Eleven | Jane Hopper</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 11:56:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>930</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22702300</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FernStone/pseuds/FernStone</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>"Pretty," El murmured as she watched Max brush back a strand of fiery hair. Max turned to her with a raised eyebrow and dazzling smile. </p><p>"Him?" Max laughed as she pointed to the particularly mediocre looking man on the page. "Interesting choice, but whatever you're into." </p><p>"Not him," El shook her head with the slightest of frowns. "You."</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eleven | Jane Hopper/Maxine "Max" Mayfield</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Femslash February 2020 [14]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1617541</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>109</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Femslash February</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I Learned From You</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When she first met Max, she thought they were rivals over love.</p><p>It turned out she hadn't known what romantic love knew.</p><p>She knew she loved Hopper. He was the father she'd never had, caring for her and giving her advice and a roof over her head. A home. </p><p>She knew she loved Kali. Sister by an unbreakable bond, who it had pained her to separate from. She missed her. </p><p>She'd thought she'd loved Mike as more than a friend or family member, because she'd kissed him and was closer to him and that meant romances. They'd told each other they loved each other. But there were more nuances to it than that.</p><p>It had been Max that helped her learn that.</p><p>The tiny seed of doubt had first ingrained in her mind when Max dragged her to the mall, all smiles and promises that they didn't need boys to have fun. There had been a fluttering in her chest that she had never felt before and a grin on her lips the widest it had been. She'd felt elated. Max taught her that she could be herself - she didn't know who she was, but she was going to try. </p><p>She broke up with Mike for the first time. </p><p>Everything went a bit crazy after that. But she got back together with Mike and after that, life went on. It wasn't the same as before - she no longer wanted to spend every hour with him. She spent even more time with Max, the hours growing and growing until they were the ones that were practically inseparable. Until Max was the one she went to with all her problems or when she felt low. </p><p>She broke up with Mike a second time. </p><p>This time she knew it was for real. </p><p>She just hoped they could stay friends. </p><p>-</p><p>She remembered when they first kissed, lying in El's room and giggling over magazines. There were such a mixture of celebrations on the pages, attractive men and women that Max was fawning over. Some caught El's eye but not as much as the soft face of her close friend, shining in the glow of a setting sun. </p><p>"Pretty," El murmured as she watched Max brush back a strand of fiery hair. Max turned to her with a raised eyebrow and dazzling smile. </p><p>"Him?" Max laughed as she pointed to the particularly mediocre looking man on the page. "Interesting choice, but whatever you're into." </p><p>"Not him," El shook her head with the slightest of frowns. "You." </p><p>"Oh," Max's lips parted slightly and her brow furrowed. "Me, really? Are you sure." </p><p>"Of course," El's frown deepened at the surprise from the other girl. Did Max not know how good she looked? How El's heart fluttered against her chest everytime she gave one of those bright smiles, so full of life and joy. It was as if the whole world came to a standstill when she smiled. "Very pretty." </p><p>A light blush crossed Max's cheeks and El realised she'd rolled over so that their faces were only inches away from each other. El felt her own face turning red as she stared into the depths of those light blue eyes. </p><p>She didn't remember who crossed the distance between them, but their lips met and it felt as if she could fly. </p><p>-</p><p>She ignored the looks and snide remarks when she held Max's hand in the arcade. Everything in her wanted to punch every kid who looked at them with disgust as Max placed a kiss on her cheek. She knew she could, and she'd get away with it, but Max told her not to. </p><p>She knew Max wanted to as well, but her father wasn't the Chief of Police (or a nice man at all). And she knew that what they were doing was equal parts brave and stupid. </p><p>She just didn't understand why people cared or thought that them being together was wrong. But their friends didn't and that was what really mattered. </p><p>"You're amazing," El breathed as she hugged into Max's side, watching her speed through the levels of the arcade machine. She could still barely wrap her head around what was going on in the tiny screen. </p><p>"I know," Max grinned, glowing with a confidence that El admired. "All the boys are jealous." </p><p>She jerked her head to where Lucas and Dustin were casting sullen looks towards them even as Will frantically tried to beat Mike's space raiders score. The two still weren't over how Max was above and beyond them in all the games they'd been previously unbeaten on. </p><p>El giggled, Hiding her head against Max as her girlfriend as she got another high score. "They should be jealous. You're better than all of them." </p><p>Max turned to her with a grin, subtly flipping a middle finger at the boys to indicate she'd beaten them again. "So are you."</p><p>El blushed and grabbed onto her arm, dragging her to another machine to play with laughter spilling from her lips. </p><p>-</p><p>"I love you," El whispered against Max's lips, dark eyes shining with confidence for the first time as she said it. Confidence that she truly what it meant and that it was what she felt. She knew what love was now and she knew that she loved Max, with everything she had. She hadn't been hasty in admitting it this time. She'd waited until she was absolutely certain to say it. </p><p>Max smiled softly, lighter eyes full of warmth and a contagious joy that El had quickly grown to enjoy. "I love you too."</p>
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